Willoughby-on-the-Wolds Pre-School Playgroup

Willoughby-on-the-Wolds Playgroup

Inspection report for early years provision

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Willoughby-on-the-Wolds Playgroup

Unique Reference Number 258573 Inspection date 29 June 2005 Inspector Diana Pidgeon

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Willoughby-on-the-Wolds Playgroup

Setting Address London Lane, Willoughby on the Wolds, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE12 6SX Telephone number 07939 890354

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E-mail

Registered person Willoughby on the Wolds Playgroup Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Sessional care

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E-mail

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are satisfactory. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Willoughby On The Wolds Playgroup opened over 25 years ago. It operates from two rooms within the village hall in Willoughby On The Wolds. The group also have access to a kitchen, toilets and a small enclosed outdoor play area, which is sited at the front of the building. The Playgroup serves the rural community with children attending from isolated homes or small local villages. There are currently 23 children from 2 to 4 years on roll. This includes 12 funded 3

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 and 4-year-olds. None of the funded children has special educational needs or speaks English as an additional language. The provision is open every morning except Thursday with the opening hours being 09:30 until 12:00. On a Wednesday and Friday these times are extended to offer a lunch club, which is open until 13:00. Children attend a variety of sessions each week. Five part time staff work with the children. Three of these hold early years qualifications. Willoughby On The Wolds Playgroup are members of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, and receive support and advice from a mentor teacher who visits regularly.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children enjoy a wide range of physical activities that contribute to their good health. Daily opportunities for vigorous play, such as using the indoor climbing frame and playing running games outdoors, helps children develop positive attitudes towards exercise. Children begin learn about personal hygiene and understand about the importance of hand–washing. However, the current arrangements for drying children’s hands are unsatisfactory and leave them at risk from cross infection. Suitable procedures are in place for managing accidents, administering medication and dealing with sick children, which ensures children are appropriately cared for and their individual needs are met. Children enjoy healthy snacks during session times and play an active role in serving these to others. They taste a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables which are well presented in individual dishes. This successfully introduces children to healthy eating.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are kept safe within the setting because staff maintain generally good levels of supervision and minimise any identified hazards. Appropriate steps are taken to keep the premises secure and to monitor the arrival and departure of children. The careful presentation of suitable toys and activities, on low tables and storage units, enables children to access them safely. Children begin to learn about keeping themselves safe, for example by wearing a sun-hat outdoors, because staff introduce this sensitively through daily routines and topic work. Although suitable fire evacuation procedures are in place children’s awareness of these is insufficient, due to a lack of regular practices. Children are adequately protected because all staff understand their role in child protection and

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 have a suitable knowledge of the procedures.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. All children are interested in what they do and remain engaged throughout the sessions because staff plan a well balanced range of age appropriate activities that promote all areas of development. Most activities are presented attractively. Children make choices during free play, which promotes their confidence and independence. Their skills, for example to cut with scissors or to climb, are developing because staff are available to support them. Children learn to work with others, to share and take turns, for example, as they make dough in an adult-led activity or use the climbing frame. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children make steady progress towards the early learning goals because staff provide a balanced curriculum that covers all areas of learning. The planned activities allow children good choices within free play, although sometimes these fail to challenge the most able children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Assessment is used appropriately to record children’s progress and to inform planning. Children’s achievements are satisfactory because staff use a variety of teaching methods and meet individual children's learning needs, for example by helping them to acquire skills such as using scissors safely. However, adult-led or focussed activities are insufficiently planned to ensure all staff are clearly aware of the learning intentions, leading to children not being fully extended. Children are confident and show positive attitudes towards learning. Older children develop good independence skills, but lack opportunities to maximise their concentration as this can be interrupted by younger ones. Most children speak confidently, make marks within their play and enjoy stories, although they rarely select books independently. They count competently and use mathematical language correctly as they fill different sized boxes with small objects. Children’s knowledge of

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

the world around them is enhanced as they examine wild flowers through magnifying glasses or combine ingredients to make play dough. Children use their imagination in role play and respond enthusiastically to songs and action games.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are happy and settled within the playgroup. They are generally well behaved because staff reward good behaviour and support children to share and play co-operatively. All children are included and understand the need to take turns, for example when serving drinks at snack time. They learn about other cultures and lifestyles through well planned topics and appropriate use of resources. The playgroup fosters children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Suitable systems are in place to ensure any children with special educational needs are

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 identified and supported. The partnership with parents is satisfactory. Children benefit from many parents playing an active role in the playgroup as committee members or helpers, which is supportive for staff. Parents receive suitable written information to inform them about the group, its policies and procedures and curriculum offered. However, planning is not effectively shared with parents and there are limited opportunities for them to support children’s learning in meaningful ways. Children profit from an effective two-way exchange of information between staff and parents which ensures their needs are reviewed and progress is regularly shared.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children quickly settle in the organised environment, where they are cared for by a team of staff who have the appropriate skills and enthusiasm to ensure their needs are met. Most aspects of documentation support the children’s care effectively, and maintain confidentiality. However, registers fail to indicate clearly when children leave a session early. The leadership and management of the playgroup are satisfactory. The committee play an active role in supporting the supervisor and staff and share their commitment to improvement. There are some monitoring systems in place, such as staff appraisals and parent questionnaires, which identify areas for improvement. Staff work well together and are beginning to share areas of responsibility within the group. Induction procedures and on-going training for staff helps to promote satisfactory outcomes for children. This means that the needs of all the children who attend are

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last inspection staff have undertaken suitable first aid training and established a record of parental consent for emergency treatment. These actions have improved the arrangements for dealing with any accidents to children, and ensures that appropriate care may be given. Staff have also begun to improve their knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and ability to plan in relation to the early learning goals, through attending training. This has resulted in children making steady progress in all the areas of learning. Children's behaviour is now managed more effectively, creating an atmosphere where children can play and learn within consistent boundaries. Parents are more aware of the Foundation Stage because appropriate information is now available to them in the welcome booklet and through leaflets. However, they are not yet sufficiently informed about what their

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Improvements since the last inspection

children are learning to effectively support this at home.

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Complaints since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are satisfactory. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • improve hygiene procedures, in relation to the arrangements for children to wash and dry their hands, to minimise the risk of cross-infection • improve children's safety by ensuring fire drills are carried out periodically • ensure registers clearly show children's times of attendance, with particular reference to when they leave a session early

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • continue to develop planning to show clear learning intentions for focussed activities and how more able children can be extended • provide more opportunities for older children to engage in activities that extend their concentration and challenge their thinking • provide clear information for parents about what their child is learning in playgroup and ways in which they can support this at home

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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